The passport belongs to a Konstantin Zhuravlev, and as a number of people pointed out, this appears to be a well known traveler, who set of on a round-the-world hitchhiking trip in 2010, visiting 37 countries across the globe in 777

"Rebel forces in Syria killed as many as 190 civilians and seized more than 200 hostages during a military offensive in August, Human Rights Watch says."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24486627

After meeting refugees in Paris, I worked on a selection of atrocity reports by western NGOs, I found the regime was consistently being blamed for atrocities carried out by the tour guides of western researchers.

As they were driving the 'human rights' investigators around, a taxi service if you like, Aleppo and such places, the same groups were murdering minority groups.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24148322

The above BBC report deserves a prize for what not to publish. Though the truth shines out from beneath the cracks.

Alawite and Christian militia guarding town attacked by suicide Jihadist. Those two aspects are the key. So for the BBC report is suicide attack against Christian/Alawite militia to gain access to Christian town so they can have a bit of a chin wag with the Christians who they really like a lot. Bad regime tries to disrupt the friendly exchange.

So a BBC report that simply can't be true. Yet they still publish. Is it any wonder the BBC were using Iraqi photos for Syria?

So a BBC report that simply can't be true. Yet they still publish. Is it any wonder the BBC were using Iraqi photos for Syria?---- I don't understand your last sentence plaese explain ''Iraqi photos''???

The superimposed logo on the passport image gives an unfortunate impression of being more Masonic than Islamic.

If they are hoping that the man might be ransomed, because I think if they seriously believed him to be a Russian agent they would have already done him in, then they may be disappointed. Russia doesn't pay up, though Italy and France generally do.

It would be very unusual for a Russian spy to use a Russian passport, as some form of EU passport would give them hassle-free entry to far more countries. A cloned Irish, British or German passport would be more likely.

I can see that arresting him allows them to tell the world that they are in charge of that particular area, but continuing to hold him once that point is made merely invites retribution.